Internet-based market places and business transactions are well-known within the art.
The market places may generally be categorized into two different categories.
The first category implies an Internet-based market place offering different items or information for sale. The items or information are/is contained within one data source or one type of data source.
Such market places typically offer a high degree of user-friendly access to the items offered for sale due to the fact that the data are contained within one well-known and well-organized data source, e.g. a single database.
The second category of market place implies a central web-based market place. The items available on the market place are contained in a multiple of data bases accessible via specially adapted client software fitting the individual decentral databases. The client software is located at the decentral provider. The data sources are typically maintained by the individual provider and market places of that type benefit from the fact that a high number of items may be accessed via the market place.
A problem with the first type of market place is that the maintenance of the central database is quite time-consuming unless the data are supplied from several item providers in a well-defined format and at well-defined time intervals. Likewise, automated processing of business transactions requires that the transactions are processed in a way which may be understood and implemented by the item provider. In other words, if a large market place of this kind is desired, high quality two-way logistics are required.
A problem with the second type of market place is also that direct communication to and from decentral ERP systems (ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning) requires that certain protocols or ERP systems are applied decentrally. Consequently, providers will need to change the ERP system in order to connect with the market place.
A further problem with the above-mentioned techniques is that the decentral providers have to deal with significant technical burdens if they want to be connected to the market place. Consequently, many companies may never be connected to the market place which reduce the number and types of possible items offered for sale significantly.
It is an object of the invention to provide an Internet-based market place offering a high degree of compatibility to decentral data sources, both with respect to the search for the data and with respect to associated business transactions.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system which may provide easy access to a huge amount of items and combinations of such items.